Just Beneath the Surface
by irisis
Summary: As the crew enjoy some shore leave, Chakotay is left to solve a riddle on an alien planet. Spending time with Kes leads Janeway to question her relationship with Chakotay. Set at the end of Season 3.


As the crew enjoy some shore leave, Chakotay is left to solve a riddle on an alien planet. Meanwhile an unexpected crush on Kes leads Janeway to question her relationship with Chakotay. Set at the end of Season 3.

Written for canadianfolk as part of the VAMB Secret Santa 2008 exchange.

"Merry Christmas, Captain!"

Kathryn Janeway looked up from her morning mug of coffee, startled. "Excuse me?"

"And a Happy New Year!" Neelix added with a wide grin, setting down a large slice of something foul smelling. Kathryn groaned inwardly. She usually avoided the Mess Hall at all costs during breakfast times as that was usually the time of day the Talaxian Chef-slash-Morale-Officer was at his most 'sociable', but today she was due to meet her second in command for breakfast and so an encounter with Neelix had been unavoidable.

She pointed to the plate Neelix had deposited in front of her. "Neelix, what is this?" Despite her best efforts the mistrust in her voice was clearly evident.

Neelix sat uninvited at the opposite side of the table and slammed both hands down on the tabletop with enough enthusiasm to make the cutlery clatter noisily. Several crew members from neighbouring tables turned heads in the direction of the sudden noise. "It's a slice of traditional Christmas pudding Captain, as if you couldn't tell! Now, I did modify the recipe slightly; improved it in actual fact."

Kathryn resisted the urge to push the grey substance away. She smiled apologetically at the staring crewmen before answering. "Neelix, you really didn't have to go to so much trouble on my account-"

"Nonsense, Captain!" Neelix interrupted, a hurt expression lining his features. "It is my duty as morale officer to ensure that all important cultural holidays are celebrated on-board Voyager. I could hardly let Christmas go by without making an effort now, could I?" His expression turned thoughtful. "Whilst you're here, perhaps I could get you to give the okay to some festive proposals I had in mind. I was considering replicating a tree, and -"

Chakotay entered the Mess Hall as Neelix was talking and caught her eye, his mouth curving into a furtive grin. She used the opportunity to stand and back away from the table; Chakotay was a very welcome interruption, especially now. "Excuse me, Neelix, but duty calls."

Neelix watched her leave, his entire body language clearly displaying his disappointment. "Captain, you forgot your Christmas pudding!" he called urgently.

"Be sure to save me a slice!" she replied, casting a secretive wink at Chakotay as they made their escape.

An hour later Kathryn and Chakotay sat in his dimly lit quarters sipping coffee over empty breakfast dishes. The music of a nineteenth century Earth composer played quietly; Kathryn couldn't quite place the name.

"I wonder what other festive traditions Neelix has managed to glean from the archives?" Chakotay asked mischievously. "Although I must admit, a sprig or two of mistletoe around the ship would be a very welcome addition... and it would certainly boost morale."

Kathryn leaned back against the silk cushions and laughed readily. "And why would that be, Commander?"

As his smile grew, so did the prominence of his dimples. Kathryn knew she was allowing him to overstep the mark some this morning, but so long as she kept in firm control of the situation she didn't see the harm.

Just as Chakotay began to answer, the voice of Voyager's Chief of Security interrupted him. Chakotay silently ground his teeth together and barely repressed a sigh. Tuvok had a knack of disrupting his conversations with Kathryn just as things were getting interesting.

If Kathryn was annoyed too, she hid it well. She tapped her combadge and told Tuvok to continue.

"Captain, we are being hailed by an alien ship," Tuvok informed her. As usual, his neutral sounding voice did not betray any emotion.

"Thank you, Mr Tuvok," Kathryn replied. "Open a channel and redirect the signal to Commander Chakotay's quarters."

"Aye, Captain." Tuvok responded. If the Vulcan had any reservations about the Captain being in her first officer's quarters at this early hour, he kept it to himself. Tuvok and Kathryn were both very adept at playing their cards close to their chest. Chakotay suspected it was one of the reasons behind their long and successful friendship and professional relationship.

The viewscreen on Chakotay's computer terminal displayed the image of a fair haired, slender man of middle years. His ears were higher and more pointed than those of a Vulcan, and he was dressed all in black. His attire appeared starkly military in appearance, far more so than Starfleet standard issue uniforms.

"I am Colonel Sevrol of the Olpovreil States." The man said in extremely formal tones by way of introduction.

Kathryn introduced herself in an equally decorous manner. "Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation Starship Voyager. This is my First Officer, Commander Chakotay."

"Thank you for listening to what I have to say, Captain Janeway," Sevrol said gratefully. "I wish we could be making first contact under better circumstances, but as fate would have it I am contacting you to submit an urgent plea for assistance."

Kathryn exchanged a long sideways glance with Chakotay. Three years alone in the Delta Quadrant had taught them to be very cautious.

"We're listening."

"My Navigation Officer tells me the Olpovreil system is no more than a two hour divergence from your current course at your current speed," Sevrol said. "The truth is Captain, we are currently faced with a troublesome problem on Fae, the innermost planet of our home system. One of our allies from a nearby system has told us that your ship is far more advanced than any other in the sector, and that you are a compassionate and benevolent race. We were hoping that you might consider assisting us."

Kathryn smiled at the flattery. "If you want me to take Voyager off course, Colonel, you're going to have to tell me rather more about this 'problem'."

Sevrol bowed his head. "Of course, Captain." He paused. "Approximately three days ago, my people began to detect some very strange readings from beneath the surface of Fae. It appeared to be emanating from beneath the ruins of one of our ancient and long ago abandoned cities. We believe we have detected an artificial object located two kilometres below the surface which is emitting a weak energy signature, but we have not yet been able to gather any more specific information. We have been monitoring the signal to better understand it but we are not a scientific race, Captain. To be perfectly honest, we do not know how to proceed."

Kathryn and Chakotay exchanged another look. They had been down this road many times before and were now able to let the other know their feelings on a situation or person with a shared glance. Right at that moment Chakotay's eyes were saying he felt this situation was none of their concern and that they should refuse to help and continue on their current course. Somewhat predictably, Kathryn's said the opposite.

Sevrol continued hesitantly: "However, we do know one thing for certain, Captain. The signal that accompanies the energy signature is a countdown."

"A countdown? To what?" Chakotay asked sharply.

Sevrol appeared to be weighing his words carefully. "We have reason to believe it may be a countdown to a detonation." He paused, obviously reluctant to continue.

Kathryn narrowed her eyes. "Colonel, if we're to work together I'm going to need you to be completely open and honest about the situation," she said.

Sevrol quickly exchanged words with an unhappy, younger man before addressing the Voyager command team again. "This has happened before; two months ago in fact, at another site on the same planet. The explosive force of the detonated device caused such great destruction it has only just been repaired. We lost a great deal of good people as a result."

Kathryn sighed regretfully. It appeared that Chakotay was going to get this own way on this occasion after all. "Colonel, I'm afraid it's now my turn to be honest with you. We would normally be happy to try and assist you. However, Voyager is currently running extremely low on supplies and we don't have the resources to take part in a mission of this magnitude until after we refuel and take on more supplies. However, on our way we will-"

"Please excuse the interruption, Captain," Sevrol interjected quickly, "but it seems we could be of mutual assistance to one another. The three moons orbiting Fae are rich in dilithium. In exchange for any help you could give us, you would be welcome to extract as much of it as you need. My people would also be happy to trade with you for the other commodities you are currently in need of."

There was no need for Voyager's command team to exchange a look this time. Kathryn had actually been drastically understating the situation when she had said they were extremely low on supplies – in fact, they were nearing critically low levels of dilithium.

"That's a very generous offer. In that case, we'll help you in any way we can, Colonel," she said.

"Thank you, Captain," Sevrol bowed his head once more. "You may land on the third moon, which is mostly uninhabited, and send a team by shuttle craft to extract dilithium from the second moon. You're obviously a long way from home, and I'm sure your crew could do with some rest."

"If you would relay the coordinates of your home system to my helmsman, we'll head straight there."

Sevrol nodded once in agreement and the view screen went blank.

"Supplies and shore leave!" Kathryn exclaimed happily. "It seems to good to be true."

"It does," Chakotay agreed. "I just hope Sevrol's people will remain friendly if we're not able to help with their problem on Fae."

Kathryn regarded him seriously. "You're right. I'll ask Tuvok to keep the security department on full alert." She relaxed back into the sofa and finished her coffee with a satisfied sigh.

Colonel Sevrol stepped away from the viewscreen. His first mate, a younger man named Dantrol, seized his arm roughly.

"I still have grave doubts about this, Colonel," Dantrol hissed angrily in his ear.

Sevrol shrugged out of Dantrol's hold and shot him an icy stare. "I don't see what choice we have, Dantrol. Besides, we didn't have to tell them everything." He relaxed into the command chair. "Everything will be fine."

Dantrol paced the space in front of the command chair. He wasn't convinced of Sevrol's words. "If their sensor technology is as good as our informants say, they may find out on their own," he said darkly.

Sevrol frowned. The thought had not occurred to him. However: "We both know where our orders to seek assistance from the alien vessel came from," he said patiently, as if to a child. "Would you have me disobey a direct order from the Government?"

"Asking outsiders for help is sickening enough, but to be in the debt of a woman is more than I can stand!" Dantrol cried angrily. He shuddered in disgust. "It's unnatural. And as a result this can only end one way."

"Dantrol!" Sevrol shouted. Standing, he balled his hand into a fist and knocked his first mate to the floor with a sudden and choleric blow to the side of his head. "Do not rise above your station. I told you, we don't have a choice." He glared at him in distaste. "Get out of my sight."

Head bowed, Dantrol quickly left the room. He wiped pink blood from his forehead with the back of his hand as his thoughts continued to race. His heart was pounding loudly in his ears. His people would live to regret this course of action; he knew it.

Chakotay appraised the lay of the ruins from his vantage point atop the red, rocky hill. He carefully adjusted the tinted glasses that were protecting his eyes from the sun's harsh glare and shrugged out of his shirt before heading back to the others. The site was as hot and dry as any desert back on Earth and he had no intention of sweltering inside his Starfleet Uniform during the duration of their time there.

Chief Engineer B'Elanna Torres and operations officer Harry Kim were still busy constructing the portable science lab with the assistance of three science crewmen. Chakotay suspected they had brought far more equipment than needed, but he knew B'Elanna worked better when surrounded by her favourite tools and so did not comment on the inability of any of the women he knew to travel light.

B'Elanna and Harry had already agreed with the countdown to a detonation theory based on their preliminary readings, but had assured Chakotay that by their best estimates the device was counting down to an event more than two standard days away. Nevertheless, Chakotay had ordered Voyager's transporter team to keep a permanent lock on the away team and be ready to beam them back to the ship at a moment's notice.

"Pyramids," Chakotay muttered, mostly for his own benefit, as he rejoined the team. He raised his voice so they could all hear. "There's a series of pyramids less than three miles to the north. The smallest is easily the size of The Great Pyramid at Giza on Earth. The largest is twice that size."

The away team barely acknowledged him, absorbed as they were in their initial readings and the task of finishing the set-up of the lab.

"Perhaps our guide will be able to tell you more about them," B'Elanna suggested, glancing up from her tricorder. "That is if you can get any conversation from her at all. I couldn't."

Chakotay chuckled quietly. He had considered B'Elanna and their guide to be very alike; B'Elanna's dislike of the woman only served to strengthen his opinion. "I think it's certainly worth investigating." He risked a brisk glance at the readings on her tricorder. "How long until your first report on the situation is likely to be ready?"

"We're getting a lot of conflicting readings from down there," Harry piped up before B'Elanna could respond. "It's been difficult to make sense of anything so far, Commander. We may not be able to give you any answers until tomorrow morning."

Chakotay nodded. Unlike Kathryn, he was always ready to accept that their crew had limitations. "Very well. I'll leave you to it."

Removing his under tunic, he relaxed for a few moments to enjoy the feel of the hot sun on his bare chest and limbs. Despite himself, he found his thoughts wandering towards Kathryn. To distract himself, he began searching for Samrol-a, the guide Sevrol's people had appointed to assist them, and found her standing in his previous spot. She was absently regarding the pyramids in the distance.

"Samrol-a, what can you tell me about the pyramids? They look deserted – do your people never visit them?" he asked. When she didn't reply, he continued to wonder aloud. "They seem very different from the other ruins in the area," he said, motioning towards the roughly hewn, red stone remnants of small buildings that were scattered throughout much of the visible desert.

"Do not concern yourself with them," Samrol-a said sharply. She did not turn around when she addressed him. "You're here to prevent any damage occurring to the nearby military base."

"True," Chakotay agreed patiently, "but it is the way of my people to be interested in exchanging cultural and historical information with the races we encounter. We're explorers. Those monuments you're looking at are very similar in construction and appearance to a set of three pyramids on our home planet. In fact, the same layout of three pyramids can be found on numerous other planets in the Alpha Quadrant. It's a great source of mystery and interest to the Federation."

Samrol-a slapped her hands together in irritation. "You're wasting your time. I have no knowledge of their function or of their construction. They serve no purpose and so my people have no interest in them."

Chakotay stepped to the edge of the plateau to join her. He met her defiant stare and attempted to melt some of her hostility away with a smile. "I'm very sorry to hear that. A lot of ancient sites on Earth have captured the imagination of people throughout history and continue to do so, despite having no discernible 'function'."

Samrol-a snorted in disgust. "You are a very strange people," she stated, and with that began to slowly make her way back towards the science lab. Her interest in the conversation and Chakotay was evidently over.

Voyager had landed without incident on Fae's outermost moon. Ensign Vorik and Lieutenant Carey had taken two shuttle crafts and a small engineering team to extract dilithium under the careful watch of an escort on the second moon. B'Elanna had been keen to join them, but Kathryn had wanted her very best people working on the problem on Fae.

Less than an hour after landing, Kathryn began trading negotiations with Olpovreil representatives with Neelix's help. They were successful in acquiring a sizeable amount of food and some seeds and saplings the Olpovreil traders insisted would grow much larger and faster than any other in the Quadrant, much to the delight of Neelix and Kes. Kathryn just hoped she had not traded valuable medical supplies for 'magic beans'.

Shortly before nightfall Kes briefed Kathryn on what she had so far discovered about the Olpovreil people, and in particular warned her that they were for the most part very isolationist and that although she didn't believe the crew were in any danger the Olpovreil people would probably choose to mostly avoid them during the duration of their stay. Her hunch proved to be correct; only authorised traders and a very small group of curious Olpovreil people chose to visit Voyager's camp.

The moon contained many beautiful landscapes awash with lush, blue vegetation and clear skies. It appeared largely untouched and the Voyager crew were told to make themselves at home within the ten kilometres allotted to them. They formed a large camp under Neelix's watchful eye and enthusiastic directions. There the crew spent time together; some simply enjoyed the fresh air and being able to walk outdoors, others chose to sit around large open fires and spend time with friends, and the more adventurous chose to try swimming in the nearby river. The truly adventurous, led by one Tom Paris, took part in abseiling at a favourable spot a mile south of the camp. Kathryn allowed the activity to go ahead after being assured by Tom that the skill would come in handy during future missions.

As the stars began to appear in the night sky, a tall, smiling Olpovreil woman approached Voyager's camp in the company of several traders. Neelix and Tuvok went forth to welcome them.

"My name is Genrol," said the lead male as they approached. He regarded Neelix keenly. "It means son of wise warrior."

Caught slightly off guard, Neelix spluttered his own name. "It means mighty chef," he added tentatively.

"Mr Neelix, I was not aware that your name had that meaning," Tuvok said quietly.

"Hush now Mr Vulcan; a person's name can mean whatever they want it to," Neelix replied. He motioned to the tall woman. "And who may you be?"

The woman smiled openly. By appearance and body language alone, she seemed very different to her people. "My name is Blossil."

Neelix shook her hand warmly. "And what does your name mean?"

Blossil's smile grew wider. "It doesn't mean anything. I just liked the sound of it."

When Tuvok began questioning the traders, Neelix took the opportunity to speak with Blossil some more. She had a lot of questions for him and seemed very interested in both ship and crew; Neelix especially.

"If you were not part of the original Starfleet or Maquis crew, how did you end up on Voyager?" she asked.

"It's a long story," Neelix replied, "but I suppose it was initially in order to help Kes," he motioned towards Kes who was sat around one of the camp fires. "She was being held captive by a group of Kazon, and I didn't have the capabilities or resources to rescue her alone."

"You must care for her very deeply," Blossil said.

"Yes," Neelix agreed, looking wistful, "and for a time we were very deeply in love. But recently, Kes moved on. I was holding her back."

Blossil regarded him fondly. "I could never imagine you holding anyone back, Neelix. You're one of the most impressive people I've ever met."

Neelix took an instant shine to Blossil, and she happily assisted him with trading, cooking and looking after Voyager's crew for the next few hours. Kes expressed slight misgivings about Blossil to Kathryn based on some odd physic readings she was giving out, and also on comments from the Olpovreil traders who did not seem to like her, but Kathryn put her mistrust down to slight jealousy on Kes's part. Kes and Neelix had only recently separated, and so Kes was naturally slightly agitated when faced with Neelix and another woman getting on so well.

Kathryn found herself staring at Kes now and again, only now realising how noticeable the effects of the drastic changes Kes had recently gone through were. The girl she had once regarded as a daughter was now very much a grown, confident woman. When Kes announced she was going to take a short walk to stretch her muscles, Kathryn saw no reason to object. Besides, she had her own place to be.

Chakotay sat bathed in moonlight roughly half a mile away from the main camp on a woollen blanket. A cool breeze continually disturbed the tall, springy grass in the small clearing he shared with his female companion. They had been sitting in companionable silence. The woman pulled a bottle of champagne from the basket that nested between them.

"Harry and B'Elanna should be ready to give their first report on the situation at 08.00 hours," Chakotay informed his companion. He paused for a moment before changing the conversation. "This is nice. It's been a while since we could relax together like this."

Kathryn smiled in agreement. "You're right." She turned the bottle over in her hands and realised Chakotay was staring at her very intently. "Is there something on your mind, Chakotay?"

"Always," he said softly.

She looked down into the grass. "Let's not spoil the moment by talking about this now..." She pleaded. He loved to hear the woman who captained a starship plead with him.

"Then when, Kathryn?" he asked. He sat up straighter.

"Maybe in a few more months-" she began.

"That's been your answer for the past year," he said in a low, warning tone.

She shot him an icy stare. "Chakotay, you promised me we could take things slowly." She said quietly. "What about the crew? We have to proceed cautiously, for their sake. I'm not totally happy with them knowing how much time we're spending together at the moment, to be completely honest." She pulled away from him slightly. "I think it's for the best if we cool things off. No more moonlit boat rides in the holodeck for a while."

He met her stare with one of his own. "Is that really what you want?"

She shook her head and reached for the corkscrew. She needed a drink. "You know the answer to that."

Before he could respond, a panicked scream carried on the breeze reached them. The corkscrew lay abandoned in the grass as the they raced towards the sound.

The sharp, sudden blow to the back of her right knee took Kes by surprise. With a sharp intake of breath she fell to her hands and knees. Before she could turn or consider getting to her feet, the second blow connected between her shoulder blades. This time she cried out sharply and instinctively rolled onto her side, bringing her hands up to shelter her face. When no further blows rained down on her as she expected, she took a deep breath and reached for her combadge. A booted foot landed heavily on her right hand and held it securely in the dirt. She quietly moaned in pain and fear.

She could see an outline in the dim light. Her attacker was at least a foot taller than she was, and heavily built. A moment later a gloved hand reached down and plucked her comm badge from her tunic and hurled it far into the trees. She attempted to rise but was roughly pushed down.

"What do you want?" she asked in despair. Her attacker pulled a long knife from a pocket. The blade gleamed in the moonlight. All rational thought fled Kes and she screamed for help as loudly as she could.

A male voice shouted angrily from the dark trees. Her stomach tightened in fear, but she cried out in relief when she recognised the outline and colours of a Starfleet uniform.

Chakotay sprinted from out of the trees as her attacker fled. In the few seconds it took Chakotay to reach the pass, the attacker was already out of sight. Kes stood on shaky legs and stumbled over to him. He reached out and held her in what he hoped was a comforting way. She pulled away suddenly and began to gasp for air. Chakotay hastily gave her some space and lowered her still shaking legs until she was sitting in some shelter.

She leaned back against the rough, cold rock and gulped in as much of the cold air as she could, the air burning in her lungs. She realised she was shivering and tucked her legs up under her chin and attempted to control her breathing in the same manner the Doctor had taught her to instruct distressed patients.

"Kes, are you okay?" Chakotay asked in concern.

She nodded jerkily in response. "I think so, Commander." She listened absently as Chakotay hailed the Captain and filled her in on the situation.

Less than fifty metres away, Kathryn stood hidden behind a small rock outcrop as she listened to Chakotay's report. She squeezed her eyes shut in misery, frustrated that she was not able to comfort Kes.

Kes sat patiently on the bio bed as the Doctor scanned her with his medical tricorder for the third time in as many minutes. She knew what his assessment would be.

"You appear unharmed apart from some slight bruising, but your pulse is still elevated. I wish you would let me give you something to calm you, Kes."

She tried to soothe him. "I'll be okay, Doctor. As soon as I return to my quarters I will perform some of the mental relaxation exercises Tuvok has taught me." Her words seemed to placate him for the time being.

Kathryn was pacing the floor in front of Kes. "The Olpovreil Government has assured me that there were no unauthorised people in the area at the time of the attack, and they say they have questioned all the traders authorised to be at the camp – they all claim to know nothing of what happened. The Government ambassador told me they even used some kind of mind reading device on them which proved they were being truthful."

She stopped and placed her hands on her hips and looked at Kes with a worried expression. "Which would appear to indicate that a member of this crew was responsible for harming you. But Kes, I can't believe that."

"I've told Tuvok everything I know," Kes told her. "I'm sure he will find whoever is responsible."

Kathryn nodded distractedly. "I've ordered the crew to be on guard and not to travel anywhere alone, but for the moment I see no reason to cancel anyone's shore leave. I'll leave it in Tuvok's hands." She looked back at Kes. "How are you feeling now?"

"Actually, I'm feeling pretty pathetic," she confided quietly. "I've witnessed you, B'Elanna and other women on Voyager more than adequately defend themselves numerous times over the years, but self defence is not a skill I've found easy to develop. Tonight's events would seem to demonstrate how vulnerable the lack of those skills have left me." She paused and regarded Kathryn warmly. "On Ocampa, there was never any need to be able to defend oneself. Crime was practically unheard of, especially violent crime. Which is why I was was so easily taken captive by the Kazon when they found me, and unable to escape without your help – I was completely unprepared." Kathryn moved closer and rubbed her back reassuringly. "I'm sorry, Captain. I just wish I was more capable at looking after myself."

Kathryn continued to try to soothe her. "Kes, if it would help improve your confidence and make you safer I would be more than happy to teach you some basic self defence techniques to get you started. But please don't feel bad about what happened this evening, or think that it was your fault. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. What about your mental powers? Could they be developed to offer you some kind of protection in the future, do you think?"

Kes shook her head slightly. "My powers are still advancing rapidly, but Tuvok thinks it may be many months before I have adequate control over them; or at least enough to begin experimenting with the full range of my abilities once more. Regardless, they were of no help to me this evening." She stood up from the bed and looked Kathryn in the eye. "If it still stands, I'd love to take you up on your offer."

Kathryn smiled. "Great. Let's start as soon as you're feeling better. Chakotay is leading the away team on Fae, and Neelix is taking the lead with the ongoing trading and so I have some free time until Lieutenant Carey returns."

She escorted Kes back to her quarters and ordered her to get some rest. On her way back she ran into Chakotay.

"Kathryn -" he began.

"I haven't forgotten our conversation, Chakotay," she reassured him. She looked around to make sure the corridor was deserted before allowing herself the luxury of allowing him to give her a brief hug. "Let's talk about this more after this mission is over."

Chakotay watched her go with a sigh. Wasn't this always the way?

Late the next morning, Chakotay stood observing the pyramids once again. He was listening to B'Elanna and Harry's initial report.

"There's definitely something down there, around fifty meters in diameter as far as we can tell," Harry said. "We know it's metallic, but of an unknown alloy that doesn't appear anywhere in our database. We think there may be highly sophisticated dampening device shielding it which is what is hampering our sensors. Whoever left the device down there are at least two hundred years ahead of us technologically, Commander."

Chakotay nodded in acknowledgement. "The question is, what's is doing here? And how and when was it placed there?"

"We have no way of knowing," B'Elanna said. "And what the Olpovreil Government are more interested in is how to turn it off, or at the least prevent it from detonating. We're about to start running some tests to determine whether or not it would be safe to transport the device – ultimately, off planet so if it does detonate it won't cause any damage."

"We're running out of time," Chakotay muttered. "Good work you two, get back to it. I take it you've already updated the Captain?"

"Yes, sir," Harry assured him.

B'Elanna headed back to the science lab and Chakotay, who had been keen to explore some of the ancient ruins since his arrival, began searching for Samrol-a. He couldn't locate her anywhere in the near vicinity, which was odd as she usually kept a close eye on his team and on him in particular. However, she had never warned him to stay away from the city ruins he reasoned, and so he began walking in that direction. So long as he ensured the structures were still sound, he didn't see why there would be a problem if he took a very quick look around.

The first dwelling he came to was very low and mostly destroyed. He ran his hand along what was left of one the red stone walls. It was impossible to tell without his equipment what the building would have originally looked like, and how long ago it had been constructed. He moved on to the next.

All the building remnants he came across were very similar. They didn't appear to have been preserved very well – there were smashed pieces of pottery and other materials littering the floor of most of them. It seemed Samrol-a's distaste for preserving the past was shared by the majority of her people.

Chakotay decided to take a look at one more building before heading back. This one was slightly larger than the others, and the space inside was devoid of any debris. With a start, he realised there were some faint markings on one of the outer walls. He moved closer and removed his tinted glasses to get a better look.

"Commander Chakotay!" Samrol-a called from ten metres away; she sounded angry. Chakotay reluctantly pulled away from the markings and walked over to her.

"What are you doing?" She asked him suspiciously.

"Exploring," he replied offhandedly. "I thought there may be some clues within one of these dwellings that will help with your problem. The stone they're constructed with is creating some kind of dampening effect on our sensors and so it was necessary to take a look the old fashioned way."

"You won't find anything here," she said intently. "I think you should rejoin your group. In case you've forgotten, we now have little over a day before that thing explodes and our military base is destroyed."

"All the more reason to have a thorough look around, I would have thought," Chakotay replied, but he complied and followed her back to the science lab reluctantly.

Kathryn examined Harry's report with a frown. She set it down gently and looked at Kes. "Well, it appears there isn't anything I can do to help the away team at present, so I suggest we start now. Are you sure you're ready?" Kes nodded eagerly.

They had laid out a straw mat in a small clearing just within sight of Voyager's main camp. Both were dressed in gym clothes and ready for Kes's first self defence lesson. There had been no reports of any further attacks throughout the night, but Kes had still insisted on taking up the Captain's offer. Tuvok had thought it was a good idea and had left them to get started whilst he continued with his investigation.

"I'm going to show you a few techniques from an old Earth form of self defence that is very suitable for someone of your size and statue." Kathryn said. "It was once called Aikido, and as a girl my father gave me a few lessons. I also had the chance to study the art further at Starfleet Academy."

"Aikido." Kes repeated the name thoughtfully.

"It means the Way of harmonious spirit," Kathryn explained. "It should teach you how to face difficult situations with more confidence and a clear mind, and therefore more effectively. If you find that you like our lesson, there's a whole series of lessons in the holodeck you can follow. I'm by no means a master in the art; I haven't had any lessons myself for many years. But I should be able to give you a fairly good introduction."

Kes smiled. "That would be wonderful, thank you."

"First of all, I'm going to test your Ki," Kathryn continued. "It's a way of learning to relax your muscles, which will help you stay alert yet unrestrained, and therefore easier to defend yourself should the need arise."

She told Kes to kneel on the straw mat and relax all her muscles, but to keep her back straight and head held high. Kathryn then began to gently press against the younger woman's pressure points to ensure she was fully relaxed.

"You're doing very well," she commented quietly as she pushed against and small of her back. It had been a long time since she had been in close, prolonged contact with anyone and she found her body instinctively reacting to the closeness despite her best efforts. Her breath began to quicken as she realised she could smell Kes's light perfume very keenly.

Next, she crouched in front of Kes. She began to push back against her shoulders, her movement gradually growing firmer. Kes tilted back slightly, but because her muscles remained relaxed she remained upright and Kathryn found herself breathing harder with the strain. Kes was learning much more quickly than she had expected – was she somehow employing her mental powers to assist her?

As Kathryn pulled away, her hand accidentally brushed against Kes's right breast. The contact produced an electric shock type sensation, and she pulled her hand away sharply in fright. She realised her body was growing very restless and excited. Confused, she mumbled an apology and helped Kes to her feet.

With a start, she realised Chakotay was standing a few meters behind her. Her heart lurched. How long had he been there?

"Captain," Chakotay greeted her as he joined them. His face didn't give much away but the look in his eyes was stony. Was he... jealous? "I think there's something you should know,"

Kes quickly excused herself and made her way over to Neelix and Blossil, who were preparing lunch a short distance away. Watching her leave, Chakotay continued: "I managed to take a quick look around the ruins on Fae. I think I may have found something important, some markings on one of the buildings that appeared recent, but Samrol-a ordered me away before I could investigate further. I'm fairly certain our hosts are they're hiding something. Something very serious."

Kathryn regarded him seriously for a few moments before answering. "You could have let me know that over the combadge."

Chakotay's face flushed slightly. "I could have. But I wanted to make sure this remained between us for the moment," he paused, and then decided to continue. "Also, I wanted to see you."

She was still flushed from her contact with Kes and didn't answer right away. She was always amazed at how her Angry Warrior could transform into a shy, giddy schoolboy with only the slightest provocation.

Reluctantly, she decided to keep things professional. For now. "Keep a close eye on things, Chakotay. You have my permission to do a bit more snooping."

Colonel Sevrol and Major Dantrol were sitting together in the Colonel's office, working steadily through a large stack of reports. They all contained information on the crew of Voyager; their movements, conversations and other data. The reports centred on the away team stationed on Fae were particularly detailed.

"Any progress on discovering the identity of the person responsible for attacking that young Ocompa woman?" Sevrol asked distractedly.

Dantrol shook his head no. "Perhaps you were right; perhaps it was one of their own."

Sevrol started at him long and hard. "I sincerely hope so. We must remain on good terms with the Voyagers, Dantrol. We cannot afford to draw their attention elsewhere or raise their suspicion. They are a very moral people... they would not understand the necessity of some of our actions."

Dantrol agreed and excused himself. He had his own thoughts on the matter but was reluctant to share them with Sevrol.

Chakotay was back amongst the red stone ruins, eagerly trying to rediscover the markings he had found earlier. Avoiding Samrol-a had not been a problem; in fact, the away team had been unable to locate for at least an hour. Officers on the nearby military base also claimed to be unaware of her whereabouts, but did promise to send a new guide within the hour. Chakotay hadn't wasted any time in heading straight for the runs.

Harry hailed Chakotay over his combadge to update him on his and B'Elanna's work. "I'm afraid it's going to be impossible to transport the device after all," Harry said apologetically. "At least in the limited time we have left. B'Elanna's fairly certain it will cause it to detonate early. It has done so before we could complete the transport in all our simulations."

"I see," Chakotay said, turning a corner and peering inside more dwellings. "Suggestions, Mr Kim?"

"B'Elanna thinks there may be a way to communicate with the device; and hopefully to then deactivate it. However, with the little time we have left-"

"Get straight on it," Chakotay instructed. "And keep me updated on your progress. Chakotay out."

He had found the ruin with the markings. Excitedly, he moved closer to examine them. A sudden noise from made him freeze in his tracks. He cautiously turned around, expecting to see Samrol-a. Instead, he found himself facing three small humanoids. They looked very different from the the Olpovreil – they were very dark skinned, dressed in a rainbow of colours and had long hair the same colour as the stone that made up the ruins.

Chakotay slowly held up both hands to show he wasn't a threat. "I am Chakotay. My people are here by invitation," he said clearly, motioning up towards the outcrop the away team were stationed on. "Who are you?"

The oldest looking of the group, an elderly, stooped female, stepped forwards. "Greetings, Chakotay. We are the Fae. And this is our home."

Kathryn and Kes had just restarted their lesson. They had finished their warm up exercises and were ready to begin.

"I want you to straighten your arm and point your hand towards the ship," Kathryn instructed. With a shy smile Kes complied. Kathryn then moved behind her and gently pressed down on the arm. It quickly bent and Kes staggered back a few steps in surprise. Kathryn caught her held her gently to steady her. It had been so long since she had last held someone like this. Her cheeks began to grow hot, and a small ache erupted in the pit of her stomach.

She cleared her throat. "This time, I want you to really focus. I want you to imagine you have a strong energy current racing from your shoulder and through your arm. It's going to shoot out of your hand and straight towards the ship."

Kes nodded. She closed her eyes and began to concentrate. This time, Kathryn was unable to bend the arm despite using all of her strength.

"Amazing!" Kes exclaimed excitedly.

"Not really," Kathryn said with a grin. "It was just an exercise to prove what a big difference a slight change in muscle relaxation can make."

She removed two strips of cloth from a bag. "We'll call it a day in a few minutes, but first I want to show you what a big difference the loss of a sense can cause and how to overcome it. You'll be faced with the urge to panic, but try your best to remain calm and focused."

She stood behind Kes and pulled the blindfold over her eyes. She tied it tenderly, careful to avoid catching any of Kes's hair. She was glad Kes had grown it; the long, golden curls suited her much better than the short, cropped hairstyle she used to favour. Kathryn tugged on the blindfold to test the knot, and as she did so she found her body growing excited and tense again. It must be a result of the closeness, she told herself. I don't have any feelings for Kes, do I?

Or maybe it's been so long since I last had sex I'm going through a human form of pon farr, she thought sullenly.

She took a step back and began to tie her own blindfold. She had to admit, it had been wonderful to be in close contact with another person without having to worry about protocol for once. Her occasional hugs and hand clasps with Chakotay were all well and good, but she was beginning to realise that her body needed much more in the long term. Kes wasn't Starfleet, or even technically under her command... did that mean sexual contact with her would be acceptable?

She found herself thinking of Chakotay and what it might be like to kiss him. She shuddered slightly in delight.

"Captain?" Kes called uncertainly.

Kathryn began to answer to reassure her she was still right beside her when something struck her from behind. Before she could cry out to warn Kes, something was clamped forcefully over her mouth. Before she fully realised what was happening, she realised the something was a cloth saturated in some sort of bitterly smelling liquid. She instantly began to feel drowsy.

She was suddenly released, and as she fell to the floor she heard Kes cry out in pain, followed shortly after by a dull thud. She fully lost consciousness a moment later.

The cell was roughly 3 by 2 metres large and empty except for a low bench across the far wall. It felt unpleasantly damp and the air was stale, but both Kathryn and Kes had been detained in much worse environments before. Kes instinctively thought of her harsh treatment at the hands of the Kazon before Voyager had liberated her, and then drove the dark memories from her mind. Kathryn sat rigidly beside her on the bench, head held high and mouth tense.

They had awoken here about an hour ago. They had explored all visible options but there didn't appear to be a way out. Physical, steel bars were always much trickier to escape from than modern force fields, Kathryn noted warily.

"Captain," Kes ventured shyly. Kathryn motioned for her to continue. "I hope you don't mind me raising this now, but... during our lesson, I noticed you were acting strangely."

Kathryn sprang up and moved to the opposite side of the cell under the pretence of searching for an opening. "Oh?"

"Yes," Kes said. "Almost as if you were... sexually aroused."

Kathryn closed her eyes. She didn't have the strength to to deny Kes's assessment.

"I've made you uncomfortable. I'm sorry, Captain. But I didn't realise you had romantic feelings for me," Kes said quietly.

Kathryn looked at her tenderly. "Kes, I care for you very deeply. But my feelings for you are not 'romantic'."

Kes's expression quickly changed to confusion.

Kathryn sat back down and sighed in embarrassment. "Kes, being close to you has made me realise how much I miss being in a physical relationship. Like moat people I have... needs. And although I currently have someone who keeps me very fulfilled both spiritually and emotionally, I cannot allow things to become physical. Being close to you was a reminder of what I want but can't have."

"With Commander Chakotay," Kes stated.

Kathryn flinched at the words. "Do you make a habit of reading the thoughts of my crew, Kes?" She asked sharply, almost defensively.

"Never without permission Captain, I promise," Kes said, taking the other woman's hand in her own in a friendly fashion. "But I don't need the ability to mind read to see what's as clear as day. And if you ask me..." Kes paused slightly, but Kathryn didn't ask her to stop and so she continued before she lost her nerve. "Considering this is just a matter of sex, it seems to be causing much more upset than it's worth."

Kathryn laughed. "Dear Kes," she said huskily, "you're very wise. But you still have a lot to learn." She didn't say anything for a very long time. Finally, she turned to Kes and spoke again. "If we manage to get out of here, I think I'm going to do things very differently."

Kes smiled. "For what it's worth, I think you've made the right decision."

"The oppressors came from the skies ten cycles ago," the old woman told Chakotay. "They were far more powerful than we, and very cruel. They drove us from our homes and into hiding below these ruins. Many of my people were slaughtered at their hands."

Chakotay's hands clenched into fists. The woman's story struck a painful chord within him. The Fae reminded him very much of his own people.

"But these buildings seem to have been abandoned a very long time ago, much longer than just ten years," he stated.

"You are correct," the old woman continued, "we have not dwelt in these particular buildings for several centuries. Our most recent settlement was five miles east of here, closer to the river and workable land. However, all of our modern villages were destroyed in the first attack. The tunnels below these ruins are the only place left for us to hide."

Chakotay looked at her thoughtfully. "Would you be willing to show me these tunnels?"

The old woman's eyes twinkled mischievously. She reached out and very softly stroked Chakotay's cheek. "If only I were fifty years younger!" She exclaimed happily. Her companions laughed merrily at her words."I'm afraid that is impossible," she said more soberly. "Our Gods ensure that only our kind may enter the tunnels. Those of the oppressors who found the entrances were all killed instantly when trying to enter."

Chakotay nodded thoughtfully. "What other wonders have your Gods put in place to protect you, wise mother?"

She gazed at him then nodded sagely. "You are very bright, and more importantly, very perceptive. You chose to listen whereas the oppressors dismiss our words as those of inferior, underdeveloped savages." The others eagerly agreed with her. "I know what path your thoughts are taking; it is the correct one. Our gods have indeed been responsible for the recent explosions, and will continue to work their magic until the oppressors stop extracting what is ours and we are left alone."

Chakotay inwardly sighed. The dilithium. "Then you're also aware that there's something below ground that will soon cause great destruction? Then surely you must also realise this also puts you in great danger?"

The woman chuckled cheerfully. "Do not worry, child. The Gods would never allow that. We are very safe, as we were at the other locations. Our fellow kin sent us word to tell us as much."

Chakotay reflected on her words. "The Olpovreil told us there had only been one prior explosion. It appears they were hiding much more than your existence from us." He stood. "Excuse me, but I must tell my Captain of what I have learned from you."

The old woman smiled. "Yes, please go ahead, tell your mate all you have discovered."

Chakotay returned the smile. "No, I said my Captain."

The old woman's expression did not change. "I know what you said."

Chakotay puzzled over her words for a few seconds before trying to raise Kathryn over his combadge. There was no response. Concerned, he hailed Tuvok instead.

"Tuvok, is everything okay? I've been unable to contact the Captain."

"Commander, I have just received some very disturbing news," Tuvok answered. Chakotay held his breath. "I have reason to believe Captain Janeway and Kes have been taken captive."

Blossil slowly approached the cell bars. She stared at both her captives in a detached manner. "Good, you're awake."

Kes regarded Blossil coldly. Despite the dim light, she was now beginning to see some things much more clearly. "You're the one who attacked me," she said sharply. When Blossil didn't respond she asked loudly, "why?"

Blossil slowly turned her attention to her. "Because Neelix still loves you. If I am to join the Voyager crew, I don't want you around. When my plan to kill you failed, I was worried that you would eventually realise I was the one responsible and so I had to get rid of you. However, I was forced to take you both, as you were never alone," Blossil continued absently as if she were the only one there. "Captain Janeway, you must take me with you when you leave. Surely you can see I belong with your kind? I'm an explorer, too."

Kathryn stepped up to the bars and said carefully and slowly: "You must let us both go. Now."

Blossil shook her head wildly. "I can't do that. Not until you agree to my proposal." She had a manic look in her eyes and didn't seem to be in complete control of her actions.

Kathryn took a step away. "Then at least answer my earlier question: where have you taken us?"

"You're in a safe place, don't worry," Blossil said. "We're still on the third moon; quite near the Voyager camp in fact."

Kathryn nodded slowly. "Now I want you to open the cell and let me out. Then we'll discuss your proposal properly."

Blossil considered her request for a moment. "Very well." She pulled a set of keys from a deep pocket and with a loud groan the cell door opened outwards. Kathryn and Kes rushed out in unison and took Blossil, who screamed in outrage at the deception, by surprise. As Kes held the woman securely as Kathryn attempted to operate the lone console.

"She was telling the truth," she called to Kes, "we're only a mile from the camp, but there's some kind of shield in place that's ensuring we don't show up on Voyager's sensors. I'm trying to deactivate it, but-"

Blossil burst free of Kes's hold and rushed towards Kathryn. They both fell to the ground and began to struggle for control of the console.

Kes relaxed her muscles and calmly focused her energy on Blossil and held her in place with her mind. Blossil instantly appeared to fall into a deep slumber.

"What did you do?" Kathryn asked in surprise, springing back to her feet. When Kes continued to look down and didn't answer, Kathryn moved to access the console once more. "There, I think we may have communications now-"

"Captain Janeway, can you hear me?" came Tuvok's calm voice over her combadge. Kathryn and Kes both smiled in relief.

"I'm glad to hear your voice, Mr Tuvok," Kathryn said happily. For once, she added silently.

Voyager steadily rose from the moon and under Tom's careful ministrations moved into a high orbit around Fae. Once she receive word that her away team were safely back on-board, Kathryn ordered her crew to hail Colonel Sevrol's ship. He answered right away.

"Captain, why are you leaving?" he asked, frowning. "Have your team been successful?"

Kathryn glared at him angrily. "You have a lot of explaining to do. My team were contacted by a people who called themselves the Fae who claim to be the original inhabitants of this system. They say you removed them from their homes by force in order to establish your military bases here and steal the dilithium."

Sevrol abruptly ended the communication.

"They are raising shields and powering weapons, Captain," Tuvok counselled.

Kathryn gritted her teeth. "Do likewise, Mr Tuvok." she ordered.

Harry and Chakotay entered the bridge and took their places as Tuvok obeyed the order. Suddenly the viewscreen displayed a bright white light. Kathryn shielded her eyes and turned to face her crew. "Anyone care to explain?" she asked.

Just then the light began to dim until it reached a comfortable level and a figure appeared. It was a very tall, striking looking humanoid with dark hair and brown skin. She was wearing dramatic eye make up and white, silk garments.

"You're human!" Kathryn exclaimed.

The woman ignored her words. "You must leave. Now," she commanded.

"Wait, please," Kathryn pleaded. "We have crew currently returning from the second moon with dilithium... we were told we had permission to take it, had we known-"

The woman abruptly interrupted her. "We know everything, Captain. You may wait for your crew and keep the dilithium, so long as you leave immediately and promise not to return."

Kathryn paused to consider this. Harry quietly interrupted her thoughts. "Capitan, the detonation is due to take place in sixty seconds."

Kathryn turned back to the viewscreen. "Are you the people the Fae believe to be their Gods?" she asked bluntly.

The woman again ignored her question. "Will you give me your word?"

Kathryn sighed. She didn't see what choice she had. "You have my word. But please, tell us what will happen when the detonation occurs. Will the Fae be harmed?"

The figure looked at her incredulously. "We would never harm the Fae," she said in distaste. "Now, no more questions. This is not your concern." She eyed Kathryn keenly. "Although it is pleasing to us that the people of the Earth have grown strong and wise."

The viewscreen displayed Colonel Sevrol's ship and the planet below once more. Kathryn turned to Harry expectantly.

"The countdown just ended, Captain." His fingers flew over the console. "I don't know how to explain this, but there was no explosion. At least, not that our instruments can detect. However, all Olpovreil ships and settlements have disappeared."

Kathryn turned back to the viewscreen. "It's not our concern any longer," she said quietly. "Mr Paris, as soon as those shuttles dock, set a course for home."

Two days had passed since Voyager had departed from Fae. It was Christmas Day, and only a skeleton crew were on duty. The remainder of the crew were celebrating in the Mess Hall.

Chakotay walked through the bridge. Kathryn had requested a full mission report from all involved. He pressed her doorbell and waited for her permission to enter; when it came he strode into her Ready Room clutching his PADD. "Captain, here are those mission reports you requested -"

He stopped after just a few strides. Kathryn was seated at her desk behind her workstation, coffee mug in hand and desk strewn with PADDs as usual. What was unusual was her attire.

"Thank you Commander, that was very prompt," she said as if her sitting in her Ready Room wearing nothing but a red bikini was the most natural thing in the world. She was also wearing a Santa hat and red pointed boots, but they didn't technically count as clothing to Chakotay's mind.

He took a few more steps, hesitantly this time, until he was at the other side of the desk. She said nothing, but followed his movements with her eyes.

"Okay Kathryn, you want to tell me what the hell is going on?" he asked. He set the reports on the desk and waited for an answer with crossed arms and the best attempt of a serious face he could muster given the circumstances.

She remained seated. "These part few days Chakotay, I've come to realise that moonlit boat rides in the holodeck and dates with animal guides are all well and good; but I need more. I need sex."

He held his breath. This was too good to be true. After a slight pause he reluctantly asked, "What about Starfleet protocol?"

Her eyes hardened, and then Kathryn Janeway uttered the words Chakotay had never imagined he would hear from her. "To hell with protocol."

She brought the coffee cup to her mouth slowly and deliberately and an innocent smile tugged at her mouth in the moments before she brought the cup to her lips and gulped down the hot, aromatic liquid. Chakotay gaped at her in disbelief. Spirits, can this really be happening? he thought.

The cup abandoned, she purposefully strode around the desk and stood beside him and pressed her smaller body against his. He closed his eyes and groaned quietly at the sensation. When he opened his eyes, she had a spring of mistletoe in one hand. Now where did she pull that from? he wondered. She was holding the mistletoe at arms length above her head, her mouth slightly parted, eyes closed.

"Merry Christmas, Chakotay," she whispered.

And then they were interrupted.

"Tuvok to Janeway."

This time they both groaned. Kathryn slapped the combadge on her desk angrily.

"Can it wait, Mr Tuvok?"

"I... believe so, Captain," came Tuvok's reply. If Chakotay didn't know any better, he would swear the Vulcan sounded bewildered.

"Very good. The Commander and I have some urgent reports to go over. We'll need at least twenty minutes." Chakotay tweaked her nipple playfully and began to softly kiss her throat.

"On second thoughts, Mr Tuvok, you better make that forty minutes," she amended, with only the barest tremor escaping into her husky voice, "I think we're going to have to go over these reports twice."


End file.
